Ljiljana Petrović

Sensory, physical and chemical characteristics of cooked ham manufactured from rapidly chilled and earlier deboned M. semimembranosus

Effects of rapid chilling of carcasses (at -31°C in the first 3h of chilling, and then at 2-4°C) and earlier deboning (8h post-mortem), compared to rapid (till 24h post-mortem) and conventional chilling (at 2-4°C, till 24h post-mortem), on quality characteristics of pork M. semimebranosus and cooked ham were investigated. Quality measurements included pH value, colour (CIEL a b values) and total aerobic count of M. semimebranosus, as well as sensory (colour, juiciness, texture, and flavour), physical (pH value, colour - CIEL a b values and texture - Warner-Bratzler shear and penetration forces) and chemical (protein, total fat, and moisture content) characteristics of cooked ham. The cooked ham was manufactured from pieces of M. semimebranosus with ultimate lightness (CIEL value) lower than 50. Rapid chilling and earlier deboning significantly increased quantity of M. semimebranosus desirable for cooked ham manufacturing. Earlier start of pork fabrication did not affect important quality characteristics of cooked ham.

The characterisation of lactic acid bacteria during the fermentation of an artisan Serbian sausage (Petrovská Klobása)

Petrovská Klobása is an artisan Serbian sausage made only from meat and spices without any additives or starter cultures. In order to characterise lactic acid bacteria (LAB) microflora, a total number of 404 LAB strains were isolated from 15 samples collected during 90 days of the fermentation and 120 days of storage of one batch of Petrovská Klobása. The isolates were preliminarily identified by phenotypic tests and subjected to (GTG)₅-PCR fingerprinting. Representatives of each group were identified by 16S rDNA sequencing. The results showed that among the isolates, Lactobacillus sakei and Leuconostoc mesenteroides predominate with 36.4% and 37.1% of total LAB strains, respectively. Pediococcus pentosaceus was also isolated in high proportion (18.4%) whereas Enterococcus durans and Enterococcus caseliflavus made only 1% and 6% of the total isolates, correspondingly. The analysis of vacuum packed and modified atmosphere packed (MAP) samples showed higher presence of L. mesenteroides and L. sakei in the total microflora.

Lipid oxidative changes in chitosan-oregano coated traditional dry fermented sausage Petrovská klobása

The effect of a chitosan coating with added essential oil of oregano (Origanum vulgare) on lipid oxidation of dry fermented sausage (Petrovská klobása) was investigated. Fatty acid profile, aldehyde contents and sensory analysis of odor and flavor were determined after drying and during seven months of storage. Between coated and control sausage, a difference was observed after two months storage in fatty acid profiles (myristic, oleic and linoleic acids), but after seven months storage there was no difference. Decrease in polyunsaturated acid content was observed (from 17.25% to 15.70%), as well as an increase in total aldehydes (from 4.54 μg/g to 31.80 μg/g), due to lipid oxidation during storage. After seven months storage, the content of most aldehydes was significantly lower in coated sausage than in the control. Sensory characteristics of odor and flavor were better for coated sausage, after seven months of storage. Results suggest that chitosan-oregano coating can be successfully applied to protect dry fermented sausages from lipid oxidation.

Effects of rapid chilling of carcasses and time of deboning on weight loss and technological quality of pork semimembranosus muscle.

The effect of rapid air chilling of carcasses in the first 3 h of chilling at -31°C (then at 2-4°C, till 24 h post-mortem) and the possibility of earlier deboning (8 h post-mortem) after rapid air chilling, compared to conventional air chilling (at 2-4°C, till 24 h post-mortem) on weight loss and technological quality (pH value, tenderness, drip loss, cooking loss and colour - L(∗)a(∗)b(∗) values) of pork M. semimembranosus was investigated. Under the rapid chilling conditions, weight loss was 0.8% at 8 h post-mortem and increased to 1.4% at 24 h post-mortem when weight loss was 2.0% under conventional chilling. Carcasses that were rapid chilled had significantly lower (P<0.001) internal temperature in the deep leg at 4 (25.7°C), 6 (13.0°C), 8 (6.2°C) and 24 h (3.8°C) post-mortem compared to conventional chill treatment (32.7, 24.2, 19.1 and 5.1°C, respectively). Rapid chilling reduced significantly (P<0.05) the rate of pH value decline at 8 h (6.02) post-mortem in M. semimembranosus compared to conventional chill treatment (5.88). Compared to conventional chilling, in M. semimembranosus deboned in different time post-mortem, rapid chilling had a positive significant effect on drip loss (P<0.05, muscles deboned 8 h post-mortem), cooking loss (P<0.001) and incidence of pale colour (L(∗) value). Rapid chilling i.e. rapid chilling and earlier deboning had neither positive nor negative significant effects (P>0.05) on other investigated technological quality parameters of M. semimembranosus (tenderness, a(∗) value and b(∗) value) compared to conventional chilling.

Effect of Starter Culture Addition and Processing Method on Proteolysis and Texture Profile of Traditional Dry-Fermented Sausage Petrovská klobása

Proteolysis and texture profile of Petrovská klobása, made with addition of starter culture, were investigated during the ripening in different conditions (traditional versus industrial). Due to intensive degradation of myofibrillar proteins, significant increases of non-protein nitrogen and free amino acids nitrogen contents were registered in all samples. Similar proteolytic changes were found in both starter and non-starter sausages, but were more pronounced in samples ripened in industrial room. In relation to ripening conditions hardness and chewiness differed significantly, while starter culture had significant effect only on hardness of sausages processed in industrial room.

Influence of collagen and natural casings on the polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons in traditional dry fermented sausage (Petrovská klobása) from Serbia

ABSTRACT The aim of this study was to determine the content of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons—PAHs (acenaphthylene, anthracene, fluorene, phenanthrene, pyrene, benz[a]anthracene, benzo[b]fluoranthene, benzo[k]fluoranthene, benzo[a]pyrene, chrysene, indeno[1,2,3-cd]pyrene, dibenz[a,h]anthracene, and benzo[ghi]perylene)—from Environmental Protection Agency list (United States Environmental Protection Agency) in traditional dry fermented sausage (Petrovská klobása) stuffed in collagen (C) and natural casings (N). Benzo[a]pyrene as well as PAH4 (benz[a]anthracene, benzo[b]fluoranthene, benzo[a]pyrene, and chrysene) were not detected in all examined samples. Results obtained in this study indicated that at the end of drying, as well as at the end of storage period, total content of 13 US-EPA PAH was significantly (P < 0.05) lower in sausages with collagen casing (56.2 and 73.6 μg/kg, respectively) than in sausages with natural casing (137.1 and 206.2 μg/kg, respectively).

Quality Standardization of Traditional Dry Fermented Sausages: Case of Petrovská klobása

The European market of dry-cured meat products is characterized by a wide range of traditional fermented sausages, which come from different parts of the continent, primarily from the Mediterranean. Production of these products has lasted for centuries and when the first sausage was produced remains uncertain, because its production dates from the period before written history. Traditional dry-fermented sausages, originating from different countries and regions, are characterized by specific sensory and physicochemical properties affected by the environmental conditions, raw materials, production method, activity and composition of present microflora, biochemical and physicochemical changes occurring during the smoking, fermentation, drying, and ripening process, and specificities of the local population (customs, habits, traditions, religion, etc.). Diversity in appearance, color, taste, smell, and texture of these products can contribute to the preservation of gastronomic heritage and culture, as well as economic development of rural areas by increasing consumption and production volume (Santos et al. 1998; Casaburi et al. 2007; Aquilanti et al. 2007; Talon et al. 2007; Latorre-Moratalla et al. 2008; Roseiro et al. 2008; Settanni and Moschetti 2014).

Biogenic Amines Profile of Serbian Traditional Sausage in Relation to Raw Material and Production Conditions

Petrovská klobása is a traditional dry fermented sausage produced in the Autonomous Province of Vojvodina. Formation of nine biogenic amines was determined in three sausage groups produced from hot deboned (A1) and cold meat (B1, B3) during drying and ripening in traditional room (A1, B1) and in industrial ripening chamber (B3). Dansyl chloride derived amines were analysed by high-performance liquid chromatography with diode-array detector (HPLC-DAD) on Eclipse XDB-C18 column. Histamine, the most important amine from food safety point of view, was not found in any of the analyzed samples. Serotonin and spermidine were also not detected in any samples, while spermin was determined in all analyzed samples. At the end of drying, phenylethylamine was the predominant amine in A1 sausage group (51.6 mg/kg), and tryptamine in B1 (38.1 mg/kg) and B3 (28.7 mg/kg) sausage groups. At the end of ripening, tryptamine was the predominant biogenic amine in all sausage groups (133, 121 and 39.8 mg/kg in A1, B1 and B3 groups, respectively). Total level of biogenic amines in all investigated sausages did not exceed 174 mg/kg at the end of drying and 238 mg/kg at the end of ripening period. Tryptamine and cadaverine may be used as indicators of total biogenic amines for sausages produced in traditional and indusrial conditions from hot deboned and cold meat.

Drying characteristics of traditional fermented sausage Petrovská klobása: The effect of different ripening conditions and use of starter culture

A study was carried out on traditional Serbian dry-fermented sausage Petrovska klobasa in order to investigate the effect of different ripening conditions and use of starter culture (SC) on drying characteristics of this typical meat product. The results related with reduction of diameter, water activity (aw) and moisture content of sausages, obtained during ripening, indicated 30 days faster drying process in controlled industrial ripening room (RR) than in traditional room (TR) (60 vs. 90 days). Along with the ambient (thermo-hygrometric) conditions, this phenomenon was also determined by pH, which was lower in RR sausages (P 0.992) indicate good fit of the experimental data (average moisture content vs. drying time) using third degree polynomial equation, both for RR and TR sausages, whether the samples were produced with or without SC. Additionally, the evolution of moisture content ratio between internal and external fractions of sausages indicated more intense drying in the external ones. This was particularly pronounced in sausages made with SC after 30 days of drying. The use of SC and RR in processing of Petrovska klobasa seems to be a potential technological improvement to shorten the drying period and to prolong the production season of this traditional meat product.